| Aesculus californica | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Sapindaceae |
| Genus: | Aesculus |
| Species: | A. californica |
| Binomial name | |
| Aesculus californica | |
 | |
| Natural range | |
Aesculus californica, commonly known as theCalifornia buckeye orCalifornia horse-chestnut, is a species ofbuckeyenative toCalifornia and southwesternOregon.
Aesculus californica is a largedeciduousshrub or smalltree, up to 4–12 m (13–39 ft) tall, with gray bark often coated withlichens andmosses. It typically is multi-trunked, with a crown as broad as it is high. Trees are long lived, with an estimated lifespan between 250–280 (300 maximum) years. Theleaves are dark green,palmately compound with five (rarely seven) leaflets. Each leaflet is 6–17 cm (2.4–6.7 in) long, with a finely toothed margin and (particularly in spring) downy surfaces. The leaves are tender and prone to damage from both spring freezing or snow and summer heat anddesiccation.[citation needed]
Theflowers are sweet-scented, white to pale pink, borne on erectpanicles 15–20 cm (6–8 in) long and 5–8 cm (2–3 in) broad. Thefruit is afig-shapedcapsule 5–8 cm (2–3 in) long, containing a large, round, orange-brownseed, measuring 2–7 cm (0.8–2.8 in). The seeds are poisonous[1] and are the largest known of any temperate (non-tropical) plant species.
A. californica has adapted to its nativeMediterranean climate by growing during the wet late winter and spring months and entering dormancy in the dry summer months, though those growing in coastal regions tend to hold on to their leaves until mid-autumn.[2]
The onlyAesculus variety native to the West,[3]A. californica is widely distributed in California, growing along thecentral coast and in the lower elevations of theSierra Nevada andCascade Range. Its range extends to the foothills of theSiskiyou Mountains in theRogue Valley in Oregon. A small disjunct population is found in the Chino Hills nearChino, California.[citation needed]
It is found growing in a wide range of conditions from crowded, moist, semi-shaded canyon bottoms to dry south-facing slopes and hilltops. In the coastal ranges north of Big Sur it is found growing alone on slopes, or intermingled with valley oak (Quercus lobata), Oregon oak (Q. garryana), coast live oak (Q. agrifolia) and California bay laurel (Umbellularia californica). In the foothills of the Sierra Nevada,A. californica can be found standing alone in grassland at the lowest elevations, intermingled inblue oak woodlands at intermediate elevations, and in mixed evergreen forests of black oak (Q. kelloggii), gray pine (Pinus sabiniana), ponderosa pine (P. ponderosa) and interior live oak (Q. wislizeni) as it nears the limit of its range.[citation needed]
Native American tribes, including thePomo,Yokuts, andLuiseño, used the poisonous nuts and seeds to stupefy schools of fish in small streams to make them easier to catch.[4] The bark, leaves, and fruits containneurotoxicglycosides, which causeshemolysis ofred blood cells.[5] Buckeye also makes a good fireboard for abow drill or hand drill.
Native groups occasionally used the plant as a food supply; after boiling and leaching the toxin out of the seeds or nut meats for several days, they could be ground into a flour or meal similar to that made from acorns.[3] The nectar and pollen of the flowers is toxic tohoneybees,[3] so the trees should not be planted near apiaries.[5] When the shoots are small and leaves are new, they are lower in toxins and are grazed by livestock and wildlife.[6] The flowers are a rich nectar source for many species of butterflies,[7] and squirrels and chipmunks consume the seeds.[3] Hydroquinone and epicatechin have been isolated from the seeds and have been shown to haveallelopathic properties by inhibiting plant growth.[8]
It is used as an ornamental plant for its striking leaf buds, lime green foliage, fragrant white flowers, red-brown foliage in mid to late summer, and architectural silver branches through fall. The tree also acts as a soil binder, which preventserosion in hilly regions.
'Aesculus' isLinnaeus' name for horse chestnuts. It is derived from the oldRoman name for a different species,Quercus petraea.[9]
'Californica' means 'native toCalifornia'.[9]
buckeye.
